monochrom is an art-technology-philosophy group having its seat in Vienna and Zeta Draconis. monochrom is an unpeculiar mixture of proto-aesthetic fringe work, pop attitude, subcultural science, context hacking and political activism. Our mission is conducted everywhere, but first and foremost in culture-archeological digs into the seats (and pockets) of ideology and entertainment. monochrom has existed in this (and almost every other) form since 1993.
Johannes Grenzfurthner (monochrom) wanted to know why he should stay in Graz for Elevate Festival 2013. He feared it would be one of a myriad of lame “we have to change the world” events… aka: a privilege wankfest. If the guest speakers couldn’t convince him of the opposite, he said, he would take the next … Read more
What a nice surprise. Johannes Grenzfurthner made it into eSeL‘s playing card set. As a 6! Roooooaaaaaar!
We present our reader “Context Hacking” at the hoergeREDE-Festival. October 26, 2013 at 6:30pm in Großer Minoritensaal in Graz, Austria.
Under which circumstances would Open Everything be able to unfold its emancipatory potential, and would an open society become a free and egalitarian society as well? Politics and the economy would need to get democratized while private data would need to be protected, and equal access to information and resources would need to be granted … Read more
The opening show provides an overview of the contents of this year’s festival. Numerous discursive and artistic contributions focus on the “Elevate Open Everything?” theme. The opening speech is held by the well-known Internet activist and computer security expert Jacob Appelbaum, one of the few hackers who combine intelligence, socio-political commitment and extensive knowledge. Tom … Read more
Mission Local’s Chris Schodt published a great piece on Arse Elektronika (2013) and monochrom. Welcome to the world of Grenzfurthner, the founder of Monochrom, a leftist techno-art collective, who managed to turn such musings on sex and technology into a small conference in the basement of kink.com. That was 2007 and seven conferences later – … Read more
Our essay on “Context Hacking” can now be found online. (And in our monochrom theory reader with the same name.) Since the advent of modernism, artists have repeatedly attempted to counteract the conflation of work and subject, because they have seen themselves forced into an undesired role: that of a freedom and independence whose flip … Read more
Arse Elektronika 2013 was truly awesome! Need proof? Here is Dr. Xtreme, sucking algorithmically. But what about Arse Elektronika 2014? We are looking for a theme! Got an idea? Please help us decide and make suggestions here!
Hell yeah. (Johannes and Vale, presenting the new Arse Elektronika anthology.) More images here.
The 7th annual Arse Elektronika sex-tech conference, taking place Thursday through Sunday at various locations in San Francisco, explores the theme of “id/entity” through an array of seminars, performances and other presentations. Presented by monocrom, the confrerence gets underway with a book launch party Thursday evening at Chez Poulet for new Arse Elektronika anthology Screw … Read more